Van Gogh Reborn!

It is the third day of the exhibition.

On the first day, nine people came and I remembered who came, but today the number of people increased even more.

It seems that there were over fifty people in the morning alone.

I went with Grandpa and Jang Mirae to have lunch.

And I found a place called a Chinese restaurant.

It's the first time hearing about such a restaurant.

“What would Hun want to eat?”

“What is delicious?”

“Jjamppong will be spicy..…”

“I don’t like spicy food.”

“Ok. Then would you like to have some jjajangmyeon?"

I don't know what it is, but it’s a food that Mirae recommended, so I don’t think it will be bad. 

So I nodded my head giving my confirmation.

“What about you teacher?”

"well. Little Hun, how about having a tray of jjajang and share it with your grandpa?”

The two people in front of me doesn’t seem to know how to deal with person who doesn't know anything about all these dishes, which I can’t even pronounce.

“What is tray jj……..ja…..jjajang?”

“It’s a jajangmyeon on a tray.”

“…are only the bowls different?”

“Does more seafood added in?”

When grandpa looked at Mirae and asked, she nodded her head.

“Sir, please give me three trays of jajangjang here. Has Hun ever eaten sweet and sour pork?”

“no."

“ Then, give me a small sweet and sour soup. Oh, give me a fork too.”

As Mirae was ordering food and I was looking around, grandpa's smartphone rang.

“Tch.… Useless phone calls.”

Grandpa silenced the sound without answering the phone.

“Who is it.?”

“The usual annoying guy.”

“Ah…Is it Henry Marceau?”

“How does Professor Mirae know about that?”

“He also contacted me.”

“He’s such  a frivolous guy.”

" Still, his skills are real, which most people don’t have these days. So why is he calling.? Did he wishes to buy a painting of yours, sir?”

“There is nothing to say and sell to that guy.”

I looked around, not paying attention because it was an incomprehensible conversation, but something drawn on a long, thin piece of paper caught my eye.

It's classy to be called a snake.

It had a beard,

“By the way, I hope Hun sells his paintings.”

I woke up to Mirae's words.

“Will they sell.?”

I wanted to sell it, but I didn't know if it was a place that also trades paintings.

"Yes. But the money should be shared with the museum. Do you know, how much the museum’s share is.?”

When I shake my head sideways, Mirae tilts her head and smiles.

“I see…You don’t know.”

I became curious as to what the percentage is.

“How are the profits divided?”

“50 percent.”

What…….Isn’t it just stealing. 

“It’s too big. Isn’t it.? Without the painters, they cannot operate, and somehow they are taking advantage of the position of the artist who wants to exhibit at least once.”

I thought it was stealing, but it turned out to be a roadside robbery.

“Is there a way not to share?”

"Well. If Hun rents the place himself and displays it, there is no need to share the income.”

“Isn’t it okay to do that?”

“There are many reasons, but usually the rental fee is burdensome. For example, it costs about 400,000 won to rent an exhibition hall where Hun’s paintings are displayed.”

Expensive.

It takes cost of 15 slices of potato pizza to rent a space that is smaller than grandpa's house.

“Aside from that, we need to promote it. You should also spend money on invitations besides the rent, and ask for the people to come.”

“It’s not just about renting a place.”

"Yes. So the ratio of 50 to 50.”

If it is understandable, it seems that a compromise can be found.

“But doesn’t Hun starting to speak in Korean fluently. What’s the secret.?

“It’s because of the dictation.”

"dictation?"

When I saw my grandpa, he was coughing for nothing.

“Then you should also learn to speak English. If you’re not going to be in Korea, it’s good to learn English as well.”

“I can speak English.”

“Huh?"

“English, Dutch, French, German. Latin too.”

Mirae puts her hand between her chin and neck and tilts her head.

It looked like she couldn't believe, and her eyebrows gathered together.

“Für wie viel möchte Hun seine Bilder verkaufen?”

Mirae asked in German, ‘ how much would I like to sell my painting’.

It's a dialect of somewhere, so the pronunciation is a bit peculiar.

[Sunflower] is a painting that I worked quite hard on and I am satisfied with myself, so I want to sell it to someone who knows the value of it.

“Das Bild ist gut geworden. Ich möchte es an jemanden verkaufen, der den Wert so gut wie möglich kennt, aber es muss genug Geld sein, um mindestens 50 Kartoffelpizzas zu kaufen.“

I said I would like to sell it for 50 potato pizza’s worth.

Mirae’s eyes opened wide is surprise.

I don't think it's that expensive.

Since I'm still a rookie, maybe I should compromise on 40 potato pizza worth.

“Did you study in Germany?”

"What?"

"German."

“Ah… yes."

Multilingual language is a basic skill for Europeans at that time, especially for people who sell goods like me. 

But it might be strange for a child to know this many languages, Mirae went through several verification processes.

“Teacher, isn’t he really a genius?”

“How the hell did Hae raise her child to be able to speak so many languages?”

He shook his head.

“She taught him all these languages, but forgot to teach her own language.?”

While they were chatting the food arrived.

While I was not sure how to explain, the dish called Tray Jjajang came out with sweet and sour pork.

Even black and red colours that look sticky doesn't look so appetizing.

Grandpa put a little on my  plate.

“Bon appetite."

I was still inexperienced with chopsticks, so I used a fork to put a small amount in my mouth.

As soon as I placed the food in my mouth, taste numbs the tongue.

The unknown sweetness, the short aura in between, and the unique flavour of the sauce that encompasses all of them.

The unusual-looking pasta has an exotic flavour

"tasty?"

“yes.…”

It's not as good as the potato pizza, but at least it's much tastier than the food grandpa makes sometimes.

While eating one after another, I suddenly looked up and saw grandpa starring at me without eating.

“Eat quickly Grandpa. it is delicious."

“Grandpa is full just looking at what Hun is eating.”

“What is that? If you don't eat, you'll be hungry. Come on and eat.”

“Yes teacher, Hun is right. Come on, eat.”

"Okay."

I gave my grandfather the tray of jjajang, and he ate it.

“Teacher, Did Museum authorities say anything about the offers for Hun’s paintings.?”

“They did.”

“ How much did they say?”

"haha. It's a secret.”

I'm curious too, so I looked up

But it seems that he only caressed and did not intend to tell.

“How much do you think, the first time exhibitors usually get?”

"Well. Friends who just graduated from college get around 50,000 won in market price?"

“What is the official price?”

“It is the amount that Hun decides and thinks is reasonable to trade. Usually, when it comes to graduate from our college, they receive between 30,000 won and 50,000 won per painting.”

“But since Hun’s painting is getting attention, I guess it would be around 900,000 won.”

It’s the amount of money needed to eat 32 slices of potato pizza, but I'd like to get about 50.

But considering that I'm a rookie, it doesn't seem like a bad amount.

“It’s the first time I’ve put it out, can I get that much?”

When asked with joy, Mirae paused as if it was absurd.

“ Of course.”

Grandpa just smiles.

“why?"

"900,000 won is not a small amount of money, but it is a price that suits your painting. Reporter Kim Ji-woo, who came yesterday, and everyone who came this morning, were all in love with the painting."

“ With that money, can I eat 32 slices of potato pizza?”

“If you add up the ingredients you spent, you can eat 100 plates, right?”

"really?"

“When I went to the studio, Schminke, Lucas, Holland.”

“I spent a lot of time trying to find a paint I liked.”

“Each colour is different, but for a 15 ml tube it costs about 10,000 to 30,000 won.”

I remembered the paints in the wooden box on which the owl was painted.

There were thirty-six paints, but I used up trying to make this and that.

I don't know how much I spent.

“ Do you know the price of paints in a box with an owl picture on it?”

“ Hmmm…Yes. A set product like that would probably cost two or three hundred?”

I painted with it because it was soft and the colour was good.

If it costs several million won to paint a picture, no matter how rich you are, there will be nothing left.

“Professor Jang, stop talking about money.”

Grandpa opened his mouth.

“Little Hun, if you want to draw anything, you can draw anything. Grandpa will give you everything you need."

“……..Really."

Grandpa laughs

It may be a selfish thought, but I want to do whatever I can.

At least I don't want to compromise on the picture.

I want to learn and learn as much as possible and pour out everything I have.

If I could borrow the money for that, even for a moment, I would gladly bow my head and complete the painting.

But I shouldn’t…..

Because I don't want to repeat the same life as before.

My heartfelt condolences Theo, who dedicated his life and fortune for me.

I don’t want the same things to happen to Grandpa

I don't want to repeat the things that only brought me pain.

“Grandpa, I will pay it back by selling a lot of paintings….okay.”

"haha. okay. But you don't have to pay it back. you can live by drawing all the pictures you like. That’s the best thing that grandpa needs.”

"no, I want to. I will pay you back. When we get home, please tell me how much the paint, canvas, and brush are.”

“ I won’t."

"why?"

“Which grandfather gets his grandson’s money? Don’t say useless things. Just eat.”

“It’s not useless. It’s important.”

“Stop it. Grandpa will get angry if you keep repeating this.”

“Then I will stop drawing.”

“ Look at this guy.? Why.?”

“Because I can’t lend money from Grandpa forever.”

“No, it’s not like borrowing and paying back with grandpa and grandson.”

“If grandpa said he would take money, I could draw comfortably.”

“Don’t worry!”

“No. It worries me.”

“Huh… who does this guy resembles to be this stubborn?”

“I think maybe his grandfather.”

Mirae added the words while listening to our conversation, with a smile on her face.

“Huh.”

Grandpa drank the water as if in awe.

"Ok. Little Hun, you know that once a person made a promise, he must keep it, right?”

"Yes."

“Don’t give some excuses later. The price you should pay back is 1 Billion won. Is that okay.?”

Haaaaaa………

How much is a billion…..

How much zeros does it have……

I opened my fingers one by one to count…..but I couldn’t.

I looked at Grandpa with teary eyes, who was laughing as if he had won.

It looks like he’s trying to make it impossible for me to pay it back.